Fork crown supported bicycle carrier

ABSTRACT

A vehicle mounted bicycle carrier for transporting non-standard bicycle frame types, such as full suspension mountain bikes. The carrier typically is mounted to the hitch structure of a vehicle and is comprised of a vertical support mast, with a top mounted horizontal bar, containing cradles for hanging bicycles from their fork crowns in a vertical position, providing independent access. The cradle design turns the fork and handlebars to a degree that prevents interference with an adjacent bicycle&#39;s handlebars, thereby allowing the closest possible spacing. Lower down on the vertical support mast is a horizontal bar for securing the bicycle rear wheels, preventing the bicycles from swinging freely on the cradles.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not Applicable

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH

Not Applicable

SEQUENCE LISTING OR PROGRAM

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a vehicle mountable bicycle carrier, particularly to a bicycle carrier that retains a bicycle in a vertical position for the convenient loading and unloading of standard and non-standard bicycle frame designs.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bicycles are often transported between locations on carriers which attach to vehicles. In many cases, these carriers incorporate an arm or cradle that the top tube of a bicycle rests on or in, to support the bicycle. However, women's bicycles and many newer non-traditional frames, especially full suspension mountain bikes, do not have a top tube. As a result, these types of bicycles cannot be directly mounted on many carriers.

Several designs aim to overcome this problem. One such design places the bicycle on top of the vehicle by removing the front wheel and clamping to the exposed ends of the bicycle fork. Problems with this design include the hassle associated with removing the front wheel, and the need to store the wheel elsewhere. Also the bicycle needs to be lifted up high and placed on top of the vehicle. Another design incorporates a surrogate top tube, as described by Hilk in U.S. Pat. No. 6,435,523, Aug. 20, 2002, whereby a tube is attached to the handlebars and seat post of a bicycle and the bicycle and attached tube is then affixed to a bicycle carrier. This design requires the user to attach the device to the bicycle in two different places, and then to attach the device to the bicycle carrier, adding greatly to the amount of time needed to attach the bicycle to the vehicle. Other designs carry a bicycle behind a vehicle via cradles in which the bicycle wheels sit. This style of bicycle carrier is generally large, complicated, and cumbersome, especially for ones which carry a plurality of bicycles. Another common design of hitch mounted bicycle carrier simply stacks the bicycles on a fork or similar structure, requiring the removal of the outermost bicycles to access the innermost bicycles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION—OBJECTS AND ADVANTAGES

Several objects and advantages of the present invention include:

-   -   a) to provide a vehicle mountable bicycle carrier capable of         carrying any bicycle regardless of its frame design.     -   b) to provide a vehicle mountable bicycle carrier which is easy         to use.     -   c) to provide a vehicle mountable bicycle carrier which carries         one or more bicycles without the removal of any part of any         bicycle.     -   d) to provide a vehicle mountable bicycle carrier which carries         a plurality of bicycles and does not require the removal of any         bicycle to access another bicycle.     -   e) to provide a vehicle mountable bicycle carrier which is not         overly complex and cumbersome.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides a vehicle hitch mountable bicycle carrier consisting of an upper bar containing cradles made up of paired V shaped tines, in which the crown of a bicycle fork fits. The bicycle hangs from its fork crown in a near vertical orientation, hooked by a cradle on the carrier's upper bar. Furthermore the cradles are orientated such that the bicycle's front wheel and handlebars are turned enough to facilitate the close proximity of another bicycle. The rear wheel is affixed to the carrier's lower bar by a hook or other device.

DRAWINGS—FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a vehicle with the hitch mounted bicycle carrier having a bicycle mounted thereon.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the bicycle carrier mounted to a vehicle hitch.

FIG. 3 is a perspective side view of a fork crown cradle on the carrier's upper bar.

FIG. 4 is a perspective top view of a fork crown cradle, showing the cradle to bicycle fork crown interface.

FIG. 5 is an end view of a fork crown cradle showing the interface of a bicycle fork crown and the cradle.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the bicycle carrier showing how the angled mounting of the bicycle handlebars facilitates the close proximity of the bicycles.

FIG. 7 is a side view of a bicycle rear wheel secured to the rear wheel stabilizer bar by a J-hook and knob device.

DRAWINGS—REFERENCE NUMERALS

-   -   10 bicycle carrier     -   11 vehicle     -   12 tines     -   13 fork crown cradle     -   14 horizontal upper bar     -   18 vertical support mast     -   19 hitch attachment bar     -   20 rear wheel horizontal stabilizer bar     -   22 J-hook and knob     -   24 vehicle hitch structure     -   25 stabilizer offset tube     -   26 bicycle     -   27 bicycle rear wheel     -   28 bicycle fork tubes     -   30 bicycle fork crown     -   32 bicycle head tube     -   34 handlebars

DETAILED DESCRIPTION—PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, the bicycle carrier described herein is shown mounted proximate to the rear of a vehicle 11 for the convenient transport of at least one bicycle 26. In a preferred embodiment the bicycle carrier is attached to the vehicle 11 through a hitch structure 24 substantially mounted to the vehicle 11. The bicycles 26 are removably secured within the bicycle carrier for transport by the vehicle 11 and subsequent removal and use at the destination.

FIG. 2 shows the bicycle carrier 10 attached to a vehicle hitch structure 24. The described embodiment of the bicycle carrier 10 has a horizontal upper bar 14 with a plurality of cradles called fork crown cradles 13, attached to a horizontal upper bar 14. A fork crown cradle 13, FIG. 3, is comprised of 4 tines 12 approximately 5 inches in length, arranged into 2 V-shaped structures, with a V angle of approximately 70 degrees, spaced approximately 4 inches apart, and with about the top ½ of the tines 12 being parallel. The fork crown cradles 13 can be set at an angle between 0 and 90 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the horizontal upper bar 14. In the described embodiment in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 the fork crown cradles 13 are at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the longitudinal axis of the horizontal upper bar 14. Each fork crown cradle 13 is spaced at a distance from an adjacent fork crown cradle 13 to allow the closest possible proximity of another bicycle, about 7 inched in the described embodiment. The horizontal upper bar 14, best shown by FIG. 2, is attached to the vertical support mast 18, and the lowermost end of the vertical support mast 18 is affixed to the bicycle carrier hitch attachment bar 19. The bicycle carrier hitch attachment bar 19 is simply slid into a receiver style vehicle hitch structure 24. At a point on the vertical support mast 18 located approximately one bicycle wheelbase length down from the horizontal upper bar 14, is the rear wheel horizontal stabilizer bar 20. In the described embodiment the rear wheel horizontal stabilizer bar 20 is offset to the right by approximately ½ of a bicycle wheel diameter, as viewed from behind, by the stabilizer offset tube 25. Spaced equidistant on the rear wheel stabilizer bar 20 and centered with respect to the fork crown cradles 13 on the horizontal upper bar 14, are J-hook and knob devices 22. The J-hook and knob devices 22 are simply hooks with threads and a knob on the non-hooked end, which pass through holes in the rear wheel stabilizer bar 20, and are used to secure a bicycle rear wheel, see FIG. 7.

FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are close in views of a fork crown cradle 13 comprised of one pair of V shaped paired tines 12. FIG. 4 is an overhead view looking down on one fork crown cradle 13, showing the bicycle fork crown 30 and the bicycle head tube 32, contained within the fork crown cradle 13 and showing the bicycle fork tubes 28 running outboard of the tines 12, and the bicycle head tube 32 running inboard of the tines 12. As viewed in FIG. 5, the bicycle fork crown 30 is placed between the 2 leftmost and 2 rightmost tines 12.

As shown in FIG. 6 the close mounting of adjacent bicycles 26 is facilitated by the fork crown cradles 13 being set at an angle of approximately 45 degrees from the horizontal upper bar 14. This angle inherently turns the bicycle fork and most importantly the handlebars 34 to approximately the same angle, thereby eliminating interference with another bicycle's handlebars, mounted to an adjacent fork crown cradle 13.

FIG. 7 shows how the rear wheel of the bicycle 27 is secured against the rear wheel stabilizer bar 20 by a J-hook and knob device 22. This device consists of a hooked metal rod mounted through a hole in the rear wheel stabilizer bar 20. The straight end is threaded with a knob attached. The rear wheel of the bicycle is simply hooked by the J-hook and tightened against the rear wheel stabilizer bar 20 by the knob.

CONCLUSION

The reader will see that the bicycle carrier of this invention can be used to transport, by vehicle, any bicycle with a front fork, encompassing virtually all known bicycle designs. The carrier design allows the quick and convenient loading and unloading of bicycles, without the need to remove any bicycle to access another. Furthermore the design provides an efficient way to carry as many bicycles as possible, in as little space as possible, by turning the handlebars, thereby preventing interference. 

1. A bicycle carrier for mounting to a vehicle comprising: a supporting member which is mountable directly or indirectly to said vehicle, said supporting member having thereon a cradle to receive a bicycle fork crown, said cradle being oriented on said supporting member whereby when mounted on said vehicle said cradle will support a bicycle from said bicycle fork crown, with said bicycle being suspended below said bicycle fork crown.
 2. The bicycle carrier of claim 1, wherein said supporting member is a generally vertical structure with a horizontal upper structure on which said cradle is mounted.
 3. The bicycle carrier of claim 2, wherein said supporting member has a means of attaching to a vehicle hitch.
 4. The bicycle carrier of claim 2, wherein said supporting member has a lower structure with means for securing a bicycle rear wheel.
 5. The bicycle carrier of claim 2, wherein there is a plurality of cradles mounted on said upper structure for carrying a plurality of bicycles.
 6. The bicycle carrier of claim 5, wherein said plurality of cradles are mounted at an angle such that said cradle supports said bicycle fork crown and the bicycle handlebars at an angle other than perpendicular to said bicycle.
 7. The bicycle carrier of claim 2, wherein said cradle includes at least one tie down means for securing said fork crown or a bicycle fork.
 8. A vehicle mounted bicycle carrier comprising: a horizontal support member mountable to said vehicle, said horizontal support member thereon having a cradle, said cradle supports a bicycle fork crown, a bicycle is hung vertically below from said fork crown and said cradle.
 9. The bicycle carrier of claim 8, wherein said horizontal support member is mounted to a generally vertical support member and a vehicle hitch.
 10. The bicycle carrier of claim 8, wherein there is means for securing said bicycle or said bicycle fork crown, to said horizontal support member or said cradle.
 11. The bicycle carrier of claim 8, wherein there is a means for securing a rear bicycle wheel to said vehicle mounted bicycle carrier.
 12. The bicycle carrier of claim 8, wherein said horizontal support member is mounted generally parallel or generally perpendicular to the rear of said vehicle.
 13. The bicycle carrier of claim 8, wherein a plurality of cradles for carrying a plurality of bicycles, are mounted to said horizontal support member.
 14. The bicycle carrier of claim 13, wherein said cradles support said plurality of bicycles with said bicycle fork crown and handlebars at an angle other than parallel to said horizontal support member. 